Chapter 1071 - A Filthy Young Woman

Wang Zhuofu broke out in cold sweats and muttered, “No wonder that no matter where I fled, mighty yao would appear to block my path. So, someone was controlling it all from the shadows…”

As a high elder of the Wang Family, he’d experienced countless bitter battles in his life. Even so, when he thought back to what he’d just experienced in the Ten Directions Yao Mountains, a chill coursed down his spine.

“In the Ten Directions Yao Mountains, Purplewing Spirit Moths are extremely rare, and they can use spatial power to hide themselves. The little critters aren’t all that strong, and they’re extremely difficult to raise and control,” Su Yi pondered out loud. “To the best of my knowledge, only Solar Demon Butterflies have ever successfully raised Purplewing Spirit Moths.”

Ye Luo furrowed his brow. “Master, are you speaking of the Falling Star Butterfly Empress of the Nine Great Yao Emperors?”

Rumor had it that her true body was a Solar Demon Butterfly. The beating of her wings could shake the nine heavens and cut down the stars!

Amongst the Nine Great Yao Emperors of the Ten Directions Yao Mountains, the Falling Star Butterfly Empress’s strength was in the top five!

“Hard to say.” Su Yi shook his head slightly, then returned to the stream and sat back down in his wicker chair.

Ye Luo and Wang Zhuofu followed him over.

Su Yi then went on to ask Wang Zhuofu about how he’d been pursued.

Wang Zhuofu didn’t hide anything. He laid everything he’d experienced out into the open.

Ten days prior, Wang Zhuofu and three other old-timers of the Middle Province Wang Family arrived in the wilderness of the Ten Directions Yao Mountains to seek out Wang Que.

They’d been on high alert ever since entering the mountain, and they proceeded with the utmost caution. Finally, just three days prior, they arrived in the Blue Ox Yao Emperor’s territory.

But before they could investigate any further, they encountered a carefully prepared ambush on Redflame Mountain.

A group of Yao Emperors had appeared under the leadership of the Blue Ox Yao Emperor, blanketing heaven and earth and surrounding Wang Zhuofu and company on all sides.

In the brutal, bloody battle that ensued, Wang Zhuofu and company were separated.

Although Wang Zhuofu fought his way out of their encirclement in the end, he was left with heavy injuries. He fled, almost dying several times along the way.

When he recounted his perilous experiences, Wang Zhuofu’s expression was utterly dark.

He said that they knew from the moment they set off that this trip would be incomparably perilous, and they’d prepared numerous trump cards and life-saving measures prior to their departure.

Furthermore, Wang Zhuofu was in the late-stage Profound Serenity Realm. Him aside, the other three were in the mid-stage Profound Serenity Realm. All of them had extremely ample combat experience.

But they were practically routed during this operation!

After learning all of this, Ye Luo couldn’t help but exclaim, “This really was an expertly prepared trap. Furthermore, the Blue Ox Yao Emperor undoubtedly has powerful reinforcements.”

His understanding was that the Blue Ox Yao Emperor’s cultivation wasn’t particularly noteworthy compared to the other eight Nine Great Yao Emperors. Although he proclaimed that he had eighty thousand yao soldiers, only a tiny handful had Profound Serenity Realm cultivation.

Power like that was in no way enough to make someone like Wang Zhuofu suffer such a crushing defeat.

Indeed, Wang Zhuofu went on to say, “Afterward, I thought back to what happened, and the Blue Ox Yao Emperor wasn’t the only one involved. The Ghost Fox Yao Emperor and the Primordial Chaos Yao Emperor were there too, as well as a group of Profound Serenity Yao Emperors from other factions. They obviously weren’t the Blue Ox Yao Emperor’s subordinates.

“The Ghost Fox Yao Emperor and the Primordial Chaos Yao Emperor are both ranked among the Nine Great Yao Emperors. If we add Falling Star Butterfly Empress controlling the Purplewing Spirit Moths…. Their lineup really is terrifying!”

Ye Luo’s expression was grim.

All of the Nine Great Yao Emperors were old monsters who’d lived too long to count. They declared themselves kings of their mountains, and they reigned over their respective territories. Each led a faction comparable to one of the Wilds’ peak orthodoxies!

Yet now, four of them had been involved in the attack on Wang Zhuofu—if not more. Those were just the ones they knew about!

Who wouldn’t have been surprised?

“How could Pi Mo have convinced these Yao Emperors to follow his orders and help him use Senior Apprentice Brother Wang Que’s life to set a trap?” Ye Luo didn’t get it.

After all, although Pi Mo led the Abstruse Force Alliance, and although his name shook the Wilds, his prestige wasn’t enough to make the unrivaled Yao Emperors of the Ten Directions Yao Mountains follow his orders!

“Pi Mo alone would indeed struggle to achieve this, but with the Studio of the Heart in the mix, it’s a completely different story,” Su Yi said casually.

Ye Luo’s gaze focused. On their way to the Ten Directions Yao Mountain, his master had described this mysterious faction from the stars beyond to him.

Here, Wang Zhuofu looked visibly bewildered, and he said in disbelief, “You’re saying that this is a trap Pi Mo put into place?”

“That’s right.” Ye Luo patiently explained, then said, “Simply put, Pi Mo knows our master has reincarnated, and he’s seized the initiative to attack. He’s using Fifth Senior Apprentice Brother Wang Que as bait to lure Master to the Ten Directions Yao Mountains.”

After hearing the full story, Wang Zhuofu’s expression shifted uncertainly. He looked dazed, as if he couldn’t accept all of this all at once.

A little while later, he looked up at Su Yi. “Are you… really His Excellency Su?”

Su Yi rose, put away the wicker chair, and said, “I said it earlier: it doesn’t matter who I am. What matters is whether or not you’re certain that Wang Que is in the Blue Ox Yao Emperor’s hands or not.”

Wang Zhuofu said hurriedly, “That’s most likely the case. When we went there earlier, I used an ancestral bloodline secret art, and I indeed sensed Wang Que’s presence in the Blue Ox Yao Emperor’s territory!”

Su Yi subtly inclined his head. “In that case, let’s head to Firecloud Cave.”

With that, he shot into the distance.

Wang Zhuofu couldn’t help but call out, “Su… Your Excellency Su, if you know this is a trap targeting you, aren’t you… aren’t you…”

“You think he's throwing himself into the net?” Ye Luo seemed to guess what Wang Zhuofu was trying to say, and he couldn’t help but laugh. “Rest assured, Senior. In Master’s eyes, exploring the Ten Directions Yao Mountains is like revisiting his old stomping grounds.”

His voice revealed his absolute confidence in Su Yi, as well as a hint of pride.

After a brief pause, Ye Luo said, “Senior, your wounds are quite severe. You can stay behind and find a quiet place to rest if you’d like.”

Wang Zhuofu took a deep breath, then said gravely, “I’ve long since set aside concern for my life. How could I concern myself with these injuries? If possible, I’d like to accompany you two on this expedition!”

Ye Luo was just about to ask for his master’s input when he saw that Su Yi had already soared into the air.

“In that case, Senior, you’d best be careful,” said Ye Luo. He then chased after Su Yi, and Wang Zhuofu followed.

……

The mountains were like halberds rising into the sky. Heaven and earth were a picture of desolate, uncultivated wilderness.

Firecloud Cave stood within these untamed lands. Everything within an eighty-thousand-foot radius of it was part of the Blue Ox Yao Emperor’s territory.

Here stood a spirit mountain covered in all manner of old-fashioned buildings. The grand black palace standing at the peak was extremely eye-catching.

Whoosh!

A blue vicious bird shot over from the distant skies. As soon as it arrived, it transformed into a blue-haired, blue-bearded man in black and stood respectfully outside the palace gates.

“Your Excellency, we’ve received word from the Falling Star Butterfly Empress. It seems Su Yi has saved the Middle Province Wang Family’s Wang Zhuofu!” the man in black reported.

A fully ten-foot-tall man sat at the throne in the center of the palace’s grand hall, flipping through a book.

When he heard that, he looked up. “The one impersonating the Swordmaster of Abstruse Force?”

He had coppery skin, and his hair and beard were long and pointed. His eyes blazed like twin suns, and his blood and qi rose around him, forming misty Dao Markings. He was like a demon emperor, and his majestic presence was terrifying and imposing.

The Blue Ox Yao Emperor!

He was one of the Nine Great Yao Emperors of the Ten Directions Yao Mountains. His true body was the rare variant species, the Blue Ox. His talent was shocking, and his power was limitless.

His cultivation had long since reached the late-stage Profound Serenity Realm.

Furthermore, this unparalleled, mighty yao’s talent was such that he far surpassed most others of the same cultivation. He was mighty as could be.

“None other! Furthermore, Su Yi brought the Swordmaster of Abstruse Force’s sixth disciple, Ye Luo. It seems the rumors are true, and that Ye Luo’s mind has indeed fallen under Su Yi’s control. He’s become no more than a puppet,” the man in black reported.

“A puppet? What do you know?” The Blue Ox Yao Emperor snorted coldly.

The man in black was stunned. “Your Excellency, don’t tell me there’s something else behind this?”

“Is that a question you ought to ask?” the Blue Ox Yao Emperor glowered, his tone sinister and imposing. The man in black was so scared that he trembled from head to toe.

“Go pass on my orders. We’re to act in accordance with our original plan. Furthermore, tell Ol’ Ghost Fox and Primordial Chaos to come see me right away!” The Blue Ox Yao Emperor waved.

“Yes, sir!” The man in black hurried off to carry out his orders.

“Su Xuanjun? Su Yi? No matter who you are, Pi Mo wants you to die in the Ten Directions Yao Mountains. I have no choice but to send you on your way personally!”

The Blue Ox Yao Emperor stroked his jaw. The depths of his gaze surged with divine radiance.

……

The edges of the Ten Directions Yao Mountains.

The light of dusk blazed like fire as a thin figure shot over from afar.

She was young and pretty, but her hair was a mess, and her face was pallid. Her clothes were filthy, as if she’d only just escaped disaster.

She walked through the wilderness, alone save for her shadow, looking lonely and desolate.

“Little girl, those are the Ten Directions Yao Mountains up ahead. What are you doing here?” A kindly-looking old man suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

“I’m looking for someone,” said the young woman. Her voice was soft and timid, as if she were muttering to herself.

The old man smiled benevolently. “Almost everyone in these mountains is a yao cultivator. It’s extremely rare for human cultivators to dare venture into these lands. Who are you looking for?”

The young woman said, “Su Xuanjun.”

She then proceeded into the mountains.

The old man jumped in fright. Su Xuanjun!? Has this girl gone insane?

Who doesn’t know that the Swordmaster of Abstruse Force died five hundred years ago?

“Right.” The young woman suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned to look at the old man. “Do you know how to get to Firecloud Cave?

The old man’s eyes darted about, and he smiled warmly. “Of course I do. If you want to know, follow me.”

The young woman shook her head. “Following you would be too much trouble. It’s best if I go alone.”

She then raised her hand and beckoned.

The old man’s skull exploded, and his soul emerged and landed in her outstretched palm.

A little while later, she sighed in apparent disappointment. “So you didn’t know after all.”

The old man’s soul suddenly dissipated into wisps of smoke in her palm.

And further away, his hollowed-out flesh transformed into a yellow-coated fox and toppled to the ground, dead.